Kingdom Rush review

Kingdom Rush is the cleanest example of classic lane tower defense on this list. Ironhide Game Studio's original puts towers on fixed build spots along winding paths, then lets you branch them into eight specialized upgrades, such as Barbarians, Arcane Wizards and Forest Rangers, with 18 tower abilities on top. You also call down fire and reinforcements and bring one of 13 heroes into battle, all available at no extra cost. Content covers a 12-stage core campaign, three mini-campaigns, four bonus stages and over 61 enemy types, with boss fights and extra challenge modes. It costs $9.99 on the US Steam store, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and 96% of 4,970 English Steam reviews are positive. It is single-player only and smaller than Bloons TD 6. We picked it over Kingdom Rush Vengeance, which costs $19.99 and has 90% positive English reviews.

Who it is for

players who want a classic, compact fantasy campaign

Price

$9.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

different tower upgrades and specializations! $9.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• 8 specialized tower upgrades and 18 tower abilities
• 13 heroes, all available at no extra cost
• Over 61 enemy types with their own skills, plus boss fights
• 12-stage core campaign plus three mini-campaigns and 4 bonus stages
• In-game encyclopedia and extra challenge modes

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 96% of 4,970 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: $9.99 with all 13 heroes included and no DLC listed on Steam
• Strength: Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with 1 GB of RAM
• Weakness: Single-player only
• Weakness: Core campaign is 12 stages, shorter than Bloons TD 6's 70+ maps
• Weakness: Released on Steam in 2014, so it lacks the newer sequels' content

Key facts

• Developer: Ironhide Game Studio
• Released on Steam: January 6, 2014
• Minimum RAM: 1 GB
• English Steam reviews: 96% positive of 4,970
• Heroes: 13, all included

Where it ranks

Kingdom Rush is No. 2 in our Best Tower Defense Games verdict.